Delivery and customs
Buying a mascot costume from abroad: delivery, customs and VAT in the EU
Ordering a mascot costume for a company, a club or an event agency in the EU? Here is how the parcel travels, who calculates the shipping, who pays import duties and VAT, and which documents come with it.
Carnival Mascot Team
We ship mascot costumes worldwide by EMS with a tracking number. If you are an event agency, a company, a sports club or a municipality in the European Union and have never imported a costume before, the process can look complicated. It isn’t — but it helps to know in advance who pays for what. This guide follows your order from the cart to your door.
How your costume travels
- Photos and video. When your costume is ready, we send you photos and a video of it on WhatsApp.
- Packing. The costume goes into a box, inside a protective cover bag with handles.
- Handover to EMS. We ship every order by EMS international express mail and send you the tracking number.
- Customs. The parcel clears customs in your country. Import duties and VAT, if any, are paid by the recipient.
- At your door. EMS delivers the parcel to the address you gave us.
You can follow the parcel on the EMS website or on the website of your national post.
How long it takes
Delivery time depends on the country. For France, the typical EMS transit from our recent shipments is about 12 days. For other EU countries, we calculate the time for your address before you pay; the typical times by country are on our delivery and customs page. These are typical times, not a guarantee: holidays and customs checks can make the trip longer. If you are in Germany, see Buying a mascot costume in Germany.
Add the time before dispatch:
- models in stock ship within 2–7 days;
- catalog models made to order are usually ready to ship in 3–5 weeks;
- custom characters usually take 28–42 days after you approve the sketch; the timeline for your character is stated in the order confirmation or invoice.
If you have an event date, tell us in your first message — we check whether we can make it in time before you order.
What shipping costs
Shipping is not part of the costume price. It depends on the weight and size of the box and on the country, and we calculate it for your order before you pay.
A mascot costume usually travels in a box of about 80 × 55 × 55 cm, 8–9 kg; a larger character gets a bigger box. Ordering several costumes? Add them all to one cart — we pack them together where the size allows.
Import duties and VAT
We ship on DAP terms (delivered at place): import duties, VAT and customs fees are paid by the recipient according to the rules of their country. Neither our catalog prices nor our custom quotes include them.
The amount depends on your country, on the product and on the value of the order. In Germany, for example, import VAT is 19%, and in Austria 20%; businesses can usually deduct import VAT as input VAT. If duties matter for your budget, check with your local customs office or a customs broker before you order — we’ll send them the product details they need.
The documents in the parcel
Every parcel travels with a commercial invoice in English and a packing list that show the real value. We never undervalue parcels or ship costumes as gifts: it’s the law, and it helps keep your parcel from being held at customs.
Customs may contact the recipient. The invoice and the packing list usually answer their questions; if they need anything else, message us and we’ll help.
Who we sell to in the EU
In the EU we sell for professional use: to event agencies, entertainers, companies and organizations. Please add your company name when you order, and your VAT number if you have one. The invoice is issued to your company or organization.
If you buy as a consumer, the mandatory consumer protection rules of your country remain unaffected, and consumers in the EU have the 14-day right of withdrawal described in our terms of sale. It does not apply to goods made to your specifications or clearly personalized: custom characters and catalog models that we change at your request, for example with your logo, in your colors or to individual measurements.
Prices and payment
Our prices are set in US dollars. Prices in other currencies, such as euro, are shown for information at a fixed rate and marked “≈”; the invoice states the binding currency and amount.
Nothing is charged on the website. The invoice can be in US dollars, euro or UAE dirhams. Step by step, it is all on our how to order and pay page.
Payment: usually a 50–70% prepayment for the costume; the balance and other terms are agreed directly with your manager.
When the parcel arrives
Check the parcel when it arrives. Report any visible transport damage to the carrier and to us as soon as possible, with photos. If a parcel is refused or not collected, the customer bears the cost of its return and of a new delivery, so make sure someone can receive it at the address you give us.
Checklist before you order
- the models, or your idea for a custom character;
- the delivery country and the full address;
- your company name and VAT number, if you have one;
- the event date, if you have one;
- a question to your customs office or broker, if import costs matter for your budget.
Ready to start? Browse the models in stock, check the mascot costume prices or send us a quick price request. Questions about your country? Message us on WhatsApp — we’re available 24/7.
